The story of rescue, rehabilitation and release is always one to celebrate, and it wouldn’t be possible without the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation and the NSRI.
Together, they released some of their shelled friends back into the ocean so they can begin their journey home to warmer waters on Thursday, January 15.
The release included:
- 21 loggerheads – Luis, Annie & 19 hatchlings
- 1 hawksbill turtle – Olaf
- 1 green turtle – Roo
These turtles were rescued and have been in the care of the Aquarium Foundation for the past year or so.
‘We couldn’t be more excited to see them all beneath the waves again,’ the NSRI said.
All sea turtles that are brought into the turtle rehabilitation programme at the Two Oceans Aquarium have been rescued from beaches around the Western Cape. The NSRI works closely with the Aquarium Foundation in terms of rescue and transport of our shelled friends.
Most of the turtles rescued are loggerhead hatchlings that have hatched on the northern beaches of KwaZulu-Natal and have caught the warm Agulhas current down the South African coastline. Once they reach the south coast and the current slows, the turtles can end up in the colder surrounding waters, which can cause the turtles to suffer from cold shock, injury and dehydration. Once the turtles are compromised, strong winds and currents expel them on our beaches, between March and July every year.
Once these hatchlings arrive at the Aquarium Foundation’s turtle rehabilitation programme they are admitted as individual patients, and over the following 6-9 months receive regular medical care, cleaning, daily feeding (twice a day!) and lots of love.
As the end of the year approaches and the turtles are healthy, have gained good weight and are behaving like strong turtles, the vet clears them for release. They receive a microchip and are then released off Cape Point (about 20-30 nautical miles) back into the warmer water (this is usually between November and March).
Anette (Annie) (fondly named by the NSRI because she was stranded in a net) was rescued by NSRI Station 26 Kommetjie on Noordhoek beach after having been stranded in fishing gear along with a seal. The seal was successfully released, but Annie was brought to the Aquarium Foundation’s rehabilitation programme where she became the newest member of the turtle rehab family.
Annie underwent intensive critical care in the months that followed as she was incredibly weak, floating with her bum up and not willing to eat. The turtle care staff used all available diagnostic tools to determine what was wrong with her, which included 2x CT scans, ultrasound, endoscopes and x-ray studies to attempt to shed more light on the situation. Alongside this diagnostic work Annie was fed regularly and was provided with inter-coelomic fluids.
She was then moved into the I&J Ocean Exhibit in November 2019 with the hope that she would do well with extra space and depth to swim. This proved to be the case as Annie quickly adapted to her new home and started eating a month later (it took her 5 months to start eating).
In the last year Annie has been a powerful ambassador to all visitors to the Two Oceans Aquarium, teaching them about the dangers of fishing gear and plastic in the ocean. Through visiting Annie, many fell in love with marine life and left inspired to help protect the oceans.
‘Releasing these recovered and now healthy and strong sea turtles back into the ocean is always such a treat and really incredibly special. All turtle species are endangered so for these rescued turtles to get a second chance is just magic. What inspires me every year too is the fact that each and every one of these turtles survived because they were rescued by a caring person. People still do good. The NSRI, our friends and ocean partners, has more than a thousand volunteers doing good by saving lives, humans and animals, and thanks to them, Annie, and many of the little hatchlings, were rescued and brought to us. This is a good start to 2021, and we are very excited to follow the oceanic journeys of Annie and Luis who are both satellite tagged in collaboration with the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries’, said Maryke Musson, CEO of the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation.
Turtles are incredible creatures and natural survivors, from the moment they hatch they are on their own and their knowledge and understanding of how to do things is instinctual. This means that even if they spend years in a rehabilitation environment, they will never unlearn how to hunt, swim, forage and fend for themselves.
‘Totally awesome today to put our turtles back into the ocean after their rehab at the Two Oceans Aquarium. Our marine animal rescue programmes are the visible expression of our consciousness of the very real threats facing our marine ecosystem. Our volunteers are totally ‘stoked’ being involved with turtle rescues and now directly in their release back into their home’ said Dr Cleeve Robertson, NSRI CEO.
Read more about each turtle’s awesome story of rescue and rehabilitation here: https://aquariumfoundation.org.za/sea-turtle-rehabilitation-facility/current-rehab-patients/
Pictures: NSRI
